title: Outcome of patients with traumatic head injury in infants: An institutional experience at level 1 trauma center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic head injury is a common cause of mortality and acquired disability in infants and children. However, patterns and outcome of head injury in infants are different from other age groups.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Aim of our study was to find out epidemiological factors, characteristics of injury, and outcome in infants with traumatic brain injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study from March 2009 through Feb 2012, at JPNATC, AIIMS, New Delhi. The clinical records of all patients, admitted with head injury were evaluated. Twenty-nine infants with traumatic brain injury were followed up and outcome was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine infants with traumatic brain injury were included in the study. Of these 17 (59%) were boys and 12 (41%) were girls. Fall from height was recorded in 27 (93%) patients and road traffic accident was the mode of injury in 2 (7%). Mild head injury (GCS 14-15) was found in 18 (62%) patients, moderate in 4 (14%) patients (GCS 9-13), severe (GCS 3-8) in 7 (24%) patients. SDH was the most common injury in 8 (27%) patients. Out of these 4 (14%) were immediately operated, 25 (86%) were managed conservatively. Overall mortality was 11% (3 patients). Glasgow Outcome Scale was 5 in 20 (69%) patients and 3 (10.3%) patients each had GOS 3 or 4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infants suffered significant brain injury due to fall. Traumatic brain injury in infants generally carries good outcome. Severe head injury was observed to be a predictor of poor outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Gaurang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vaghani
authors.forename: Pankaj K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Deepak K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Gurudutt
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Satyarthee
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mahapatra
keywords: Infants; outcome; traumatic brain injury